Movement Notation

The Benesh system is an integral part of the work of most professional dance companies, both for recording new dance works and for reviving older works from the repertoire.

The system is a universal language, like music a Benesh score will mean the same in any country, there is nothing to translate and there are none of the problems associated with the translation process.

It records all human movement; this makes it very useful for all forms of dance. It provides an accurate representation, clarifies details such as arm movements and musical timing. Word notes can be ambiguous, and sometimes hard to understand, however the close links between the music score and the Benesh movement score is a great aid as the rhythm and phrasing is the same in each.

The Benesh movement notation describes dance by plotting the body’s changing positions along a five-line stave in a consecutive series of notated frames. The stave lines coincide with visually distinctive features of the human body.

It can play an important role for the dance teacher and student. Dance is rhythmical and the Benesh system accommodates that. You see it on the page.